Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
For fans of rich and complex historical novels like Girl with a Pearl Earring or Code Name Verity, New York Times bestselling author Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, captured forever in Leonardo's first portrait--a painting that broke convention and established the master as a force of artistic honesty.
Though rich in beauty, wit, and talent, Ginevra is trapped in an arranged marriage, expected to limit her creativity to household duties. When charismatic Venetian ambassador Bernardo Bembo chooses the teenage poetess as his Platonic muse, he commissions Ginevra's portrait by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the brilliant painter helps Ginevra find her own artistic voice and inspires a captivating intimacy between them. But the pair is soon caught up in a deadly battle between the powerful Medici family and its rivals.
Synopsis
For fans of rich and vivid historical novels like Girl with a Pearl Earring and Code Name Verity, Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, the inspiration for one of Leonardo da Vinci's earliest masterpieces.
The young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family, Ginevra longs to share her poetry and participate in the artistic ferment of Renaissance Florence but is trapped in an arranged marriage in a society dictated by men.
The arrival of the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons, artists, and philosophers. Bembo chooses Ginevra as his Platonic muse and commissions a portrait of her by a young Leonardo da Vinci.
Posing for the brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them, one Ginevra only begins to understand.
In a rich and vivid world of exquisite art with a dangerous underbelly of deadly political feuds, Ginevra faces many challenges to discover her voice and artistic companionship--and to find love.